A KNIGHT OF THE NINETEENTH CENTURY - Edward Payson Roe (best color ebook reader TXT) 📗

Love And

Christian Faith, And Out Of The Chaos Of The Fallen Man Of Iron And

Stone There Gradually Emerged a New Man, Who First Became In christ'S

Expressive Words "A Little Child" In spiritual Things, That He Might

Grow Naturally And In the Symmetry Of The Enduring Manhood Which God

Designs To Perfect In the Coming ages.

 

 

 

Mrs. Arnot'S Sturdy Integrity Led her To Give Up Everything To Her

Husband'S Creditors, And She Came To The City Of Her New Abode Wherein

The Prison Was Located almost Penniless. But She Brought Letters From

Dr. Barstow, Mr. Ivison, And Other Christian People Of Hillaton. These

Were Presented at A Church Of The Denomination To Which She Belonged,

And All She Asked was Some Employment By Which She And Laura Could

Support Themselves. These Letters Secured confidence At Once. There Was

No Mystery--Nothing Concealed--And, Although So Shadowed by The Disgrace

Of Another, The Bearing Of The Ladies Inspired respect And Won Sympathy.

A Gentleman Connected with The Church Gave Laura The Position Of

Saleswoman In his Bookstore, And To Mrs. Arnot'S Little Suburban Cottage

Of Only Three Rooms Kind And Interested ladies Brought Sewing and

Fancy-Work. Thus They Were Provided for, As God'S People Ever Are In

Some Way.

 

 

 

Mrs. Arnot Had Written A Long Letter To Haldane Before Leaving Hillaton,

Giving a Full Account Of Their Troubles, With One Exception. At Laura'S

Request She Had Not Mentioned the Broken Engagement With Beaumont.

 

 

 

"If Possible, I Wish To See Him Myself Before He Knows," She Had Said.

"At Least, Before Any Correspondence Takes Place Between Us, I Wish To

Look Into His Eyes, And If I See The Faintest Trace Of Shrinking From Me

There, As I Saw It In mr. Beaumont'S Eyes, I Will Never Marry Him, Truly

As I Love Him."

 

 

 

Mrs. Arnot'S Face Had Lighted up With Its Old-Time Expression, As She

Said:

 

 

 

"Laura, Don'T You Know Egbert Haldane Better Than That?"

 

 

 

"I Can'T Help It," She Had Replied with A Troubled brow; "The Manner Of

Nearly Every One Has Changed so Greatly That I Must See Him First."

 

 

 

Haldane Did Not Receive Mrs. Arnot'S First Letter. He Was At Sea With

His Regiment, On His Way To The Far Southwest, When The Events In which

He Would Have Been So Deeply Interested began To Occur. After Reaching

His New Scene Of Duty, There Were Constant Alternations Of March And

Battle. In the Terrible Campaign That Followed, The Men Of The Army He

Was Acting With Were Decimated, And Officers Dropped out Fast. In

Consequence, Haldane, Who Received but Two Slight Wounds, That Did Not

Disable Him, Was Promoted rapidly. The Colonel Of The Regiment Was

Killed soon After Their Arrival, And From The Command Of The Regiment He

Rose, Before The Campaign Was Over, To Command A Brigade, And Then A

Division; And He Performed his Duties So Faithfully And Ably That He Was

Confirmed in this Position.

 

 

 

Mrs. Arnot'S First Letter Had Followed him Around For A Time, And Then

Was Lost, Like So Many Others In that Time Of Dire Confusion. Her Second

Letter After Long Delay Reached him, But It Was Very Brief And Hurried,

And Referred to Troubles That He Did Not Understand. From Members Of His

Old Regiment, However, Rumors Reached him Of Some Disaster To Mr. Arnot,

And Wrong-Doing On His Part, Which Had Led to Imprisonment.

 

 

 

Haldane Was Greatly Shocked at The Bare Possibility Of Such Events, And

Wrote A Most Sympathetic Letter To Mrs. Arnot, Which Never Reached her.

She Had Received some Of His Previous Letters, But Not This One.

 

 

 

By The Time The Campaign Was Over One Of Haldane'S Wounds Began To

Trouble Him Very Much, And His Health Seemed generally Broken Down From

Exposure And Overexertion. As A Leave Of Absence Was Offered him, He

Availed himself Of It And Took Passage To New York.

 

 

 

Three Or Four Letters From His Mother Had Reached him, But That Lady'S

Causeless Jealousy Of Mrs. Arnot Had Grown To Such Proportions That She

Never Mentioned her Old Friend'S Name.

 

 

 

The Long Days Of The Homeward Voyage Were Passed by Haldane In vain

Conjecture. Of One Thing He Felt Sure, And That Was That Laura Was By

This Time, Or Soon Would Be, Mrs. Beaumont; And Now That The Excitement

Of Military Service Was Over, The Thought Rested on Him With A Weight

That Was Almost Crushing.

 

 

 

One Evening Mr. Growther Was Dozing as Usual Between His Cat And Dog,

When Some One Lifted the Latch And Walked in without The Ceremony Of

Knocking.

 

 

 

"Look Here, Stranger, Where'S Yer Manners?" Snarled the Old Gentleman.

Then Catching a Glimpse Of The Well-Remembered face, Though Now Obscured

By A Tremendous Beard, He Started up, Exclaiming,

 

 

 

"Lord A' Massy! 'Taint You, Is It? And You Compared yourself With That

Little, Peaked-Faced chap That'S Around Just The Same--You With

Shoulders As Broad As Them Are, And Two Stars On 'Em Too!"

 

 

 

The Old Man Nearly Went Beside Himself With Joy. He Gave The Cat And Dog

Each A Vigorous Kick, And Told Them To "Wake Up And See If They Could

Believe Their Eyes."

 

 

 

It Was Some Time Before Haldane Could Get Him Quieted down So As To

Answer All The Questions That He Was Longing To Put; But At Last He Drew

Out The Story In full Of Mr. Arnot'S Forgery And Its Consequences.

 

 

 

"Has Mr. Beaumont Married miss Romeyn?" At Last He Faltered.

 

 

 

"No; I Reckon Not," Said Mr. Growther Dryly.

 

 

 

"What Do You Mean?" Asked haldane Sharply.

 

 

 

"Well, All I Know Is That He Didn'T Marry Her, And She Ain'T The Kind Of

A Girl To Marry Him, Whether He Would Or No, And So They Ain'T Married."

 

 

 

"The Infernal Scoundrel!" Thundered haldane, Springing To His Feet.

"The--"

 

 

 

"Hold On!" Cried mr. Growther. "O Lord A' Massy! I Half Believe He'S Got

To Swearin' Down In the War. If He'S Backslid Agin, Nothin' But My

Little, Peaked-Faced chap Will Ever Bring Him Around A Nuther Time."

 

 

 

Haldane Was Stalking Up And Down The Room In strong Excitement And Quite

Oblivious Of Mr. Growther'S Perplexity.

 

 

 

"The Unutterable Fool!" He Exclaimed, "To Part From Such A Woman As

Laura Romeyn For Any Cause Save Death."

 

 

 

"Well, Hang It All! If He'S A Fool That'S His Business. What On 'Arth Is

The Matter With You? I Ain'T Used to Havin' Bombshells Go Off Right

Under My Nose As You Be, And The Way You Are Explodin' Round Kinder

Takes Away My Breath."

 

 

 

"Forgive Me, My Old Friend; But I Never Had A Shot Strike Quite As Close

As This. Poor Girl! Poor Girl! What A Prospect She Had A Few Months

Since. True Enough, Beaumont Was Never A Man To My Taste; But A Woman

Sees No Faults In the Man She Loves; And He Could Have Given Her

Everything That Her Cultivated taste Could Wish For. Poor Girl, She Must

Be Broken-Hearted with All This Trouble And Disappointment."

 

 

 

"If I Was You, I'D Go And See If She Was," Said Mr. Growther, With A

Shrewd Twinkle In his Eyes. "I'Ve Heerd Tell Of Hearts Bein' Mended in

My Day."

 

 

 

Haldane Looked at Him A Moment, And, As He Caught His Old Friend'S

Meaning, He Brought His Hand Down On The Table With A Force That Made

Everything In the Old Kitchen Ring again.

 

 

 

"O Lord A' Massy!" Ejaculated mr. Growther, Hopping Half Out Of His

Chair.

 

 

 

"Mr. Growther," Said Haldane, Starting Up, "I Came To Have A Very

Profound Respect For Your Sagacity And Wisdom Years Ago, But To-Night

You Have Surpassed solomon Himself. I Shall Take Your Most Excellent

Advice At Once And Go And See."

 

 

 

"Not To-Night--"

 

 

 

"Yes, I Can Yet Catch The Owl Train To-Night. Good-By For A Short Time."

 

 

 

"No Wonder He Took The Rebs' Works, If He Went For 'Em Like That,"

Chuckled mr. Growther, As He Composed himself After The Excitement Of

The Unexpected visit. "Now I Know What Made Him Look So Long As If

Something Was A-Gnawin' At His Heart; So I'M A-Thinkin' There'Ll Be Two

Hearts Mended."

 

 

 

Haldane Reached the City In which Mrs. Arnot Resided early In the

Morning, And As He Had No Clew To Her Residence, He Felt That His Best

Chance Of Hearing Of Her Would Be At The Prison Itself, For He Knew Well

That She Would Seek Either To See Or Learn Of Her Husband'S Welfare

Almost Daily. In answer To His Inquiries, He Was Told That She Would Be

Sure To Come To The Prison At Such An Hour In the Evening Since That Was

Her Custom.

 

 

 

He Must Get Through The Day The Best He Could, And So Strolled off To

The Business Part Of The City, Where Was Located the Leading Hotel, And

Was Followed by Curious Eyes And Surmises. Major-Generals Were Not In

The Habit Of Inquiring at The Prison After Convicts' Wives.

 

 

 

As He Passed a Bookstore, It Occurred to Him That An Exciting Story

Would Help Kill Time, And He Sauntered in and Commenced looking Over The

Latest Publications That Were Seductively Arranged near The Door.

 

 

 

"I'Ll Go To Breakfast Now, Miss," Said The Junior Clerk Who Swept The

Store.

 

 

 

"Thank You. Oh, Go Quickly," Murmured laura Romeyn To Herself, As With

Breathless Interest She Watched the Unconscious Officer, Waiting Till He

Should Look Up And Recognize Her Standing Behind A Counter. She Was

Destined to Have Her Wish In very Truth, For When He Saw Her He Would Be

So Surely Off His Guard From Surprise That She Could See Into The Very

Depths Of His Heart.

 

 

 

Would He Never Look Up? She Put Her Hand To Her Side, For Anticipation

Was So Intense As To Become A Pain. She Almost Panted from Excitement.

This Was The Supreme Moment Of Her Life, But The Very Fact Of His Coming

To This City Promised well For The Hope Which Fed her Life.

 

 

 

"Ah, He Is Reading. The Thought Of Some Stranger Holds Him, While My

Intense Thoughts And Feelings No More Affect Him Than If I Were A

Thousand Miles Away. How Strong And Manly He Looks! How Well That

Uniform Becomes Him, Though Evidently Worn And Battle-Stained! Ah! Two

Stars Upon His Shoulder! Can It Be That He Has Won Such High Rank? What

Will He Think Of Poor Me, Selling Books For Bread? Egbert Haldane,

Beware! If You Shrink From Me Now, Even In the Expression Of Your Eye, I

Stand Aloof From You Forever."

 

 

 

The Man Thus Standing On The Brink Of Fate, Read Leisurely On, Smiling

At Some Quaint Fancy Of The Author, Who Had Gained his Attention For A

Moment.

 

 

 

"Heigh Ho!" He Said At Last," This Stealing Diversion From A Book

Unbought Is Scarcely Honest, So I Will--"

 

 

 

The Book Dropped from His Hands, And He Passed his Hands Across His Eyes

As If To Brush Away A Film. Then His Face Lighted up With All The Noble

And Sympathetic Feeling That Laura Had Ever Wished or Hoped to See, And

He Sprang Impetuously Toward Her.

 

 

 

"Miss Romeyn," He Exclaimed. "Oh, This Is Better Than I Hoped."

 

 

 

"Did You Hope To Find Me Earning My Bread In this Humble Way?" She

Faltered, Deliciously Conscious That He Was Almost Crushing Her Hand In

A Grasp That Was All Too Friendly.

 

 

 

"I Was Hoping To Find _You_--And Mrs. Arnot," He Added with A Sudden

Deepening Of Color. "I Thought A Long Day Must Elapse Before I Could

Learn Of Your Residence."

 

 

 

"Do You Know All?" She Asked, Very Gravely.

 

 

 

"Yes, Miss Romeyn," He Replied with Moistening Eyes, "I Know All.

Perhaps My Past Experience Enables Me To Sympathize With You More Than

Others Can. But Be That As It May, I Do Give You The Whole Sympathy Of

My Heart; And For This Brave Effort To Win Your Own Bread I Respect And

Honor You More, If Possible, Than I Did When You Were In your Beautiful

Home At Hillaton."

 

 

 

Laura'S Tears Were Now Falling Fast, But She Was Smiling Nevertheless,

And She Said, Hesitatingly:

 

 

 

"I Do Not Consider Myself Such A Deplorable Object Of Sympathy; I Have

Good Health, A Kind Employer, Enough To Live Upon, And A Tolerably Clear

Conscience. Of Course I Do Feel Deeply For Auntie And Uncle, And Yet I

Think Auntie Is Happier Than She Has Been For Many Years. If All Had

Remained as It Was At Hillaton, The Ice Around Uncle'S Heart Would Have

Grown Harder And Thicker To The End; Now It Is Melting away, And

Auntie'S Thoughts Reach So Far Beyond Time And Earth, That She Is

Forgetting The Painful Present In thoughts Of The Future."

 

 

 

"I Have Often Asked myself," Exclaimed haldane, "Could God Have Made A

Nobler Woman? Ah! Miss Laura, You Do Not Know How Much I Owe To Her."

 

 

 

"You Have Taught Us That God Can Make Noble Men Also."

 

 

 

"I Have Merely Done My Duty," He Said, With A Careless Gesture. "When

Can I See Mrs. Arnot?"

 

 

 

"I Can'T Go Home Till Noon, But I Think I Can Direct You To The House."

 

 

 

"Can I Not Stay And Help You